Bristol Women’s Workshop exists to give women the opportunity to gain experience in traditionally male skills such as woodwork and D.I.Y.

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You will use all the major hand tools to build projects with traditional joinery methods safely and effectively. We restrict our class sizes to a maximum of 8 people to ensure that students benefit from one-to-one attention and support.

We don't use machinery because we believe that working with hand tools will teach you to be a better woodworker. One who is not bound by the constraints of a machine will learn how to saw accurately along a line, plane a surface flat, chisel with precision and gain a better understanding of your materials with a more gratifying experience.

But I’m a beginner!

Almost all women who join our courses are beginners, so don’t worry if you have no previous experience. Our courses, which are taught in small groups, are run for women by women. These courses are designed to introduce women to the craft of woodwork in a supportive environment.

Anne the workshop's founder explains how learning practical woodworking skills can help women grow in confidence, and how not only does this shape a women's self image but by sharing these skills it also helps challenge wider society's preconceptions about what women can do.